WalletHub recently released its 2026 Early Holiday Shopping Survey, looking at how consumers are approaching early holiday shopping and budgeting this year. You can find highlights from the survey below.
Key Findings:
- Inflation Threatens Christmas: More than half of Americans think inflation is going to ruin Christmas.
- Smaller Budgets This Year: 79% of Americans say their holiday budget is the same size as last year or smaller.
- Still Paying Off Debt: More than 1 in 4 Americans are still paying off debt from last holiday season.
- Early Bird Shoppers: 41% of people say they usually start shopping for the holidays in October or earlier.
- Shopping Early Pays Off: 94% of people say shopping early helps them stay on budget better than shopping at the last minute, and 69% of people say it helps them save money.
- Shoppers Doubt AI: 56% of people don’t trust AI to help them with their holiday shopping.
“Most people believe inflation is going to ruin Christmas, according to a new WalletHub survey, but we don’t have to allow that to happen. Sure, prices are high and more than 1 in 4 of us are still dealing with debt from the holidays last year, but savvy consumers still have a few tricks up their sleeves to help make the holidays both happy and affordable. Making a budget and starting the shopping process early are two important strategies. More than 90% of people say shopping early helps them stay on budget, and more than two-thirds of people believe it helps them save money. Combine that with the right rewards or 0% APR credit card, which could add hundreds of dollars in extra savings, and the holidays aren’t looking so ruined after all.”
- Chip Lupo, WalletHub Analyst
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